On Friday, Cyber Police Station, Kashmir Zone, Srinagar received a written complaint from an unidentified woman from Baramulla, alleging that she has been cheated by unknown Facebook user operating multiple fake Facebook accounts and impersonating as Project Officer in ICDS on the pretext of providing job to her, a press release by the police stated.
During the investigation, the police claimed to have found the said unknown Facebook user operating more than fifteen fake Facebook accounts and had fraudulently obtained number of SIM cards from the victims, which the police claimed were “young and destitute”. The accused by his vicious and wicked plans has grabbed lakhs of rupees from the victims on the pretext of providing them jobs.
The fraudster was identified as Mohammad Hussain Mir resident of Lazibal, KP Road Anantnag, a shopkeeper by profession and has been arrested. During questioning, the accused person admitted that he was inspired by a famous TV serial “Crime Patrol” and he learnt the modus operandi of social media crimes by watching the said serial.
The police statement said: “The modus operandi of the accused include creation of fake Facebook accounts by using profile pictures of high profile dignitaries mostly associated with politics and television and sending friend requests to the young girls who were allured by the profiles of the accused and would often chat with the accused who used to impress them with his flagitious activities and promises of offering jobs to them. He made them to believe that he could help them in getting jobs and consequently coerced them to pay money. The accused also used to compel the young girls to share their objectionable photos and videos and using them same for blackmailing. He would made victims to transfer money not into his personal account but in the accounts of other victims who were cheated in the same manner and subsequently used to collect the amount by sending some other person(s) to avoid himself getting exposed. The accused used to frequently change his mobile phones and SIM cards and create new Facebook accounts on the name of high posted Govt employees and made victims believe that they too have been provided jobs by him.”
The police further asked the public to be aware of such online job scams where the fraudsters pretend to be as Government Officers and high profile dignitaries.
